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By Kamsi Anayo, Awka
Labour Party Presidential Candidate for the 2023 election, Mr Peter Obi, has dismissed insinuations in some quarters that he is an ethno religious bigot.
He released facts to prove that he never discriminated against any tribe or religion as Governor of Anambra State.
Obi set the records straight in a statement signed by his Media Adviser, Valentine Obienyem.
Obienyem in a statement titled, “Re: No Known Ethno Religious Bigot should be elected to Preside over a Diverse Country like Nigeria”, strongly condemned the “campaign of calumny launched by some faceless groups” driven into the panic mode by Obi’s rising profile ahead of the 2023 presidential ballot.
He said, “Is it by coincidence that it came when we were reliably informed that some political parties have charged their political office holders to hire people to relentlessly attack Obi with falsehoods on all available social media platforms?” the statement asked.
“It went on to take “the falsehoods of the attack under reference, by an obviously non-existent name, AG Mahmoud, one after another”.
“The false writer said that after the killing of Northerners on the 21st and 22nd of March, 2006, before Mr. Peter Obi became the Governor, that his reaction came in the form of a statement, namely: “you people should tell your people to stop killing our people in the North.
“This is complete falsehood. If Obi made that statement, it would have been lavishly published by the media. Would the author show us the link where the statement was published?
“Though the disturbances in the state happened before Obi took over, one of his first acts was to visit the Onitsha Army Barracks, Mr Peter Obi thereafter, together with National Emergency Management Agency provided relief materials.
“He also took far reaching actions that fostered unity among all those living in the state to prevent such happening again. As you read, you will see some of those actions.”
“The writer said Obi ejected northerners from some markets they had occupied since 1974. The writer went on to say that when the crisis was going on, that the Northerner petitioned the office of the Sultan who sent Emirs of Suleja and Etsu of Nupe to mediate. They said the negotiations were unfruitful because Obi refused to provide an alternative.
“During Obi’s tenure, Upper Iweka was an eye sore. Traders from all tribes were trading on the road, such that over 50% of the road space was occupied by these traders. Obi appealed to the traders to move backwards since he also planned to expand the road to 8 lanes.
“Because some of them would not be accommodated if they moved to the rightful positions, Obi entered into negotiations and agreed to relocate them to various places.
“Famous transport companies like The Young Shall Grow, Mic Merah, Chisco, Ekeson, GMO Company were all affected. Goat sellers, comprising mostly Hausa and Igbos, were relocated to Umunya, with Police Post provided for them.
“The Sultan came to the state at that time on the invitation of Obi. He took the opportunity of the visit to mediate on grey areas. Rather than report what happened, the false writer quoted Obi as having said: “you people are foreigners here therefore you have no right on our land.” Could they show us the link of the saying as published then?”